A capsule look at the 14-team women’s field at the Home Hardware Curling Pre-Trials

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This article was published 24/10/2021 (1799 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A capsule look at the 14 women’s teams entered in the March 25-31 Home Hardware Curling Pre-Trials at the Queens Place Emera Centre in Liverpool, N.S. (team members listed skip to lead with home club location).

TEAM ANDERSON

Sherry Anderson, Nancy Martin, Chaelynn Kitz, Breanne Knapp; Martensville, Sask.

Anderson reached the 2001 trials final but lost to Kelley Law, who went on to win Olympic bronze at Salt Lake City. Knapp won world junior silver in 2009 on a team with Kaitlyn Lawes.

TEAM BARKER

Penny Barker, Christie Gamble, Jenna Enge, Danielle Sicinski; Moose Jaw, Sask.

Barker represented Saskatchewan at the 2017 national women’s curling championship. Enge has made three Scotties Tournament of Hearts appearances over her career.

TEAM BIRT

Suzanne Birt, Marie Christianson, Meaghan Hughes, Michelle McQuaid; Montague/Cornwall, P.E.I.

Birt has made 12 career Scotties appearances but is playing in the pre-trials for the first time. She won world junior gold in 2001.

TEAM BROTHERS

Jill Brothers, Erin Carmody, Sarah Murphy, Jenn Mitchell; Halifax

Two-time world women’s champion Kim Kelly helped Brothers qualify for this event last month in Ottawa. Kelly will serve as an alternate in Liverpool.

TEAM BROWN

Corryn Brown, Erin Pincott, Dezaray Hawes, Samantha Fisher; Kamloops, B.C.

Brown won a Canadian junior title in 2013. A year earlier, she won mixed bronze with Thomas Scoffin at the Youth Olympic Games at Innsbruck, Austria.

TEAM DUNCAN

Hollie Duncan, Megan Balsdon, Rachelle Strybosch, Tess Bobbie; Woodstock, Ont.

Duncan, ranked second in Canada behind Tracy Fleury, enters on a roll after winning the Stu Sells Toronto Tankard. Alternate Julie Tippin skipped her own team at the 2017 trials.

TEAM GALUSHA

Kerry Galusha, Jo-Ann Rizzo, Sarah Koltun, Margot Flemming; Yellowknife.

Galusha is playing lead but continues to handle skip duties. Rizzo, who reached the 2013 trials final with Sherry Middaugh, is throwing last rock.

TEAM HARRISON

Jacqueline Harrison, Allison Flaxey, Lynn Kreviazuk, Laura Hickey; Dundas, Ont.

Harrison was 2-4 in her lone pre-trials appearance at Summerside, P.E.I. in 2017. Kreviazuk played second on a team skipped by Flaxey that went 1-7 at the Ottawa trials four years ago.

TEAM INGLIS

Danielle Inglis, Jessica Corrado, Stephanie Corrado, Cassandra de Groot; Mississauga, Ont.

Inglis won a world mixed team title with skip Mike Anderson in 2018. She also served as an alternate for Rachel Homan’s team that won Scotties silver last season.

TEAM MCCARVILLE

Krista McCarville, Kendra Lilly, Ashley Sippala, Sarah Potts; Thunder Bay, Ont.

This will be McCarville’s fourth career appearance at the pre-trials. She won the A qualifier in 2017 and went 4-4 at the Ottawa trials. Coach Rick Lang is a two-time world men’s champion.

TEAM MURPHY

Jestyn Murphy, Carly Howard, Stephanie Matheson, Grace Holyoke; Mississauga, Ont.

The pre-trials will be a family affair for vice-skip Howard, whose brother Scott and father Glenn are playing in the men’s draw. Murphy guided the University of Guelph women’s team to bronze at the 2016 U Sports playdowns.

TEAM PETERSON

Beth Peterson, Jenna Loder, Katherine Doerksen, Melissa Gordon; Winnipeg.

Vice-skip Loder is the lone team member with pre-trials experience. She played second for Barb Spencer in 2013 at Kitchener, Ont. Peterson was 7-5 as a wild-card entry in her Scotties debut last season.

TEAM ROBERTSON

Darcy Robertson, Laura Burtnyk, Gaetanne Gauthier, Krysten Karwacki; Winnipeg.

Karwacki was as alternate for Kerri Einarson’s team in the Calgary bubble last season. Burtnyk’s father, Kerry, is serving as coach. He reached the 2001 trials final in Regina but lost to Kevin Martin, who won Olympic silver at Salt Lake City.

TEAM ZACHARIAS

Mackenzie Zacharias, Karlee Burgess, Emily Zacharias, Lauren Lenentine; Altona, Man.

The 2020 world junior champions hold the No. 8 spot in the latest Canadian rankings. Zacharias beat Beth Peterson in the final of the recent Mother Club Fall Curling Classic.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2021.

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